It's fast approaching, and like you and I already know, with the first of every month comes a new 30 day challenge. Here are the challenges I've already completed:
August-begin a blog, and take a picture every day.
September-drink nothing but water for a month.
October-stop pressing the "snooze" button, and be a tourist in your own city.
As it turns out, with school and other commitments, I haven't been able to do a whole lot of touristy activities. Well, I've done a lot...but not nearly enough as I wanted to, which is why I am going to continue exploring Boston throughout November. Technically, I will always be exploring Boston, and as long as I'm living here, you will read all about it...but since I'm focusing on most of the big Boston tourist attractions (on a student's budget) I felt like it would be a good challenge to continue.
I still don't have the ability to successfully wake up the first time my alarm goes off, which is why I am going to add to the challenge. For November, in addition to exploring this beautiful city, I am going to lead a more mindful life. We all know this scenario: It's around midnight and you go on Facebook to see what's going on in the lives of your friends. About half an hour later, after going through some intriguing picture albums, you find a video that somebody posted (usually a cat doing something cute, leading to a dog doing something cute, leading to a parkour video, leading to Shakira music videos, Lady Gaga tunes, clips from your favorite TV shows, and somehow, after following a weird path of related videos, you find yourself in the "weird" part of youtube). Time passes, and 48 youtube videos later, you find yourself still awake at 3 in the morning. For those three hours, you could have been sleeping, therefore waking up and feeling rested and ready to start the day. I'd really like to pay attention to where, when, and how I waste time.
Perhaps attempting to learn all the words to Gangnam Style isn't the best use of my time, nor is it wise to watch a whole lot of TV. There is a difference, though, between relaxing and wasting time (i.e. before leaving the house to go practice, I relax by watching an episode of my favorite show vs. coming home with the intention of practicing, turn on the TV, and watching half a season of Desperate Housewives, going to bed well past midnight). This month, I want to get a lot accomplished. I have auditions coming up, homework to be completed, classes to register for, concerts to perform, and rehearsals to be prepared for, on top of a whole pile of other things that need to be completed.
There is one obstacle in my way, however. What happens when the weather gets bad, school is cancelled, you loose power, and are stranded in your apartment? We will find out! Yes, Hurricane Sandy is coming, and coming fast. They've already evacuated parts of NYC and there's been a lot of damage already in the southern states. Classes are cancelled for tomorrow, and there's no telling how long or how bad the storm will get. But there's plenty to do. Of course, I'll be sleeping in (intentionally), and there will be plenty of fun, especially because I'm making Spiced Sandy Cider and carving pumpkins tomorrow (a variation of Hurricane Irene-tinis and Rummy 1,000). There is cleaning to do, laundry to complete, and furniture to be put together...as well as practicing. Under the circumstances, tomorrow should be a productive day. If the weather holds up a little longer and they don't shut down the MBTA, I might even go check out the surf down by the harbor area.
It's time to slow down, connect with the people who mean the most to me, be aware of what's happening in the present, actually taste, chew, and be thankful for the food I eat, increase motivation and inspiration, create a balance (definitely a Libra), and doing the things that need to get done instead of procrastinating. I think this challenge will help with the anti-snooze button situation, and I also think that this will be a good challenge in terms of my blogging. It's just about accomplishing the things I set out to do, and will hopefully give more value to the "in-between".
And just what is the "in-between"? You plan your day around the things you need to do: go to school, practice, come home, make dinner, study, etc. But what about the 15 minutes it takes to get to school? Usually I zone out, or get lost in the music on my ipod, text, stress out about everything I need to do. Those 15 minutes could be so much more meaningful. On the T, I could look out the window and admire the foliage, pay attention to the sun shining through the window, or the warmth of my scarf. Instead of getting some tea from Starbucks, waiting until it cools down, and chugging it before rehearsal, I could really sip it, and taste all the flavors, and feel how it warms up my throat. It's time to really live in the present, enjoying life, and being happy to be alive.
This is a prime example of time not wasted on YouTube.
No comments:
Post a Comment